The colourful coach, who in the qualifiers cut a forlorn figure as the players failed to carry out his plans and who seemed unable to find answers from the touchline, makes his presence felt at games from the pre-match warm-up onwards.
Ever since Argentina qualified for the finals at the last gasp he has said: "I know what it takes to win the World Cup".
"When a team's state of mind is good, their potential grows," former top flight Argentine midfielder Ruben Capria, now a media pundit, told Reuters.
"The individual performances are on the rise and that lifts the team," Capria said of their form in South Africa. "When the players came home for the qualifiers they did not play well."
Maradona pointed to the squad's depth, saying reserves slot in seamlessly and changes he might make against Greece on Tuesday due to injury or bookings would not weaken the team.
'EXCEPTIONAL MESSI'
As for Messi, Capria said: "He has exceptional powers to make a difference."
The second goal of Gonzalo Higuain's hat-trick against the Koreans was "98 percent Messi's for the move and his shot which came back off the post," added Capria.
Messi said: "I also had several chances but, no problem, I want to score but I'm not going to go crazy because I haven't."
With qualification almost certain, the question is how well Argentina will do when they face another of soccer's big powers in the knockout phase or perhaps Uruguay in the second round.
"In football the result is never settled beforehand," said Capria.
